Magnetically operated game apparatus



Aug. 23., 1955 B. w. YAEGER 2,716,028

MAGNETICALLY OPERATED GAME APPARATUS Filed Aug. 8, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR 35 33' Aug. 23, 1955 B. w. YAEGER MAGNETICALLY OPERATED GAME APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 8, 1952 INVENTOR Bernard W 1 a 6 er miv uJY ATTORNEY United States Patent MAGNETICALLY OPERATED GAME APPARATUS Bernard W. Yaeger, Garden City, Mich.

Application August 8, 1952, Serial No. 303,239

6 Claims. (Cl. 27385) This invention relates to a novel game apparatus adapted to be played by two or four players and which is constructed to realistically simulate a game played on a large area and wherein the parts simulating contestants are magnetically manipulated in accomplishing the play of the game.

More particularly, it is an aim of the present invention to provide a game apparatus primarily intended to be constructed to simulate the game of hockey having player simulating parts which are magnetically moved and manipulated on a playing surface, whereby an element simulating a puck is propelled by manipulation of the player simulating members toward the goals or cages of the apparatus.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide a game apparatus as aforedescribed having a playing surface constructed to very realistically simulate a hockey field or rink including novelly constructed and operated goal tending units simulating a goalie or goal tender.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide novel magnetic actuators operated by the two or four contestants engaged in the play of the game for moving, turning and otherwise manipulating the player simulating pieces.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawings, illustrating a presently preferred embodiment thereof, and wherein:

Figure l is a plan view of the game apparatus;

Figure 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view thereof taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view of the game apparatus taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 3-3 of Figure 2 and on a scale substantially corresponding to the scale of Figure l Figure 4 is a cross sectional view of the game apparatus taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 44 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is an enlarged bottom plan view of one of the player simulating units and showing the puck simulating element located adjacent thereo;

Figure 6 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 6-6 of Figure 5;

Figure 7 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view of a portion of one of the manipulating devices, and

Figure 8 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 88 of Figure 4.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, the game apparatus in its entirety is designated generally 10 and comprises a supporting structure, designated generally 11, including a substantially flat upper ply or board 12, an intermediate board or ply 13 and a bottom board or ply 14. The boards 12, 13 and 14 are disposed in spaced apart relationship to one another to form a space 15, constituting an upper space, between the boards 12 and 13 and a lower space 16 between the boards 13 and 14. The boards 12, 13 and 14 are connected at their side edges to 2,715,.d28 Fatented Aug. 23, 1955 side walls 17, by means of which said boards are maintained in properly spaced relationship. Likewise, the side walls 17 close the sides of the spaces 15 and 16 which extend from end-to-end of the supporting structure 11 and which are open at their ends, as clearly illustrated in Figures 2, 3 and 4.

The upper board 12 constitutes the playing surface of the game apparatus 10 and the side walls 17 extend up- Wardly from the sides thereof as indicated at 17a to combine with upstanding end walls 18 to form an upstanding board or retaining wall around the playing surface. The playing surface is also provided with upstanding concavely or arcuately rounded corner strips 19 connecting the walls 17a and 18 adjacent the corners thereof and forming rounded corners of the playing surface, as best illustrated in Figure 1. The supporting structure 11 is provided with depending supporting legs 20 which are fixed to and depend from the corners of the bottom board 14 for supporting the boards 12, 13 and 14 in an elevated position relatively to a supporting surface on which the legs 20 rest. However, if desired, the legs 2% may be omitted and the bottom board 14 may be rested directly on a table top or other suitable supporting surface of a proper level.

The upper surface of the board 12, constituting the playing surface, is suitably painted and marked to realistically simulate the game being imitated and which is herein illustrated and described as the game of hockey. Said playing surface 12 adjacent each end thereof is provided with an upstanding substantially semicircular member 21 which opens toward the center of the playing surface and which is disposed intermediate of its side edges and which simulates the cage or goal.

As best seen in Figure 8, a bolt or shaft 22 has an intermediate portion journalled in an opening 23 of the upper board 12, one of said bolts being disposed adjacent each end of the board 12 and within the cage 21 at said end. A block 24 is keyed adjacent one end thereof to the upper portion of each bolt 22 and extends therefrom outwardly with respect to the adjacent cage 21 and is provided with an enlarged convexly arced outer end 25 which extends forwardly from the open side of the cage. A lever 26 has one end keyed to each bolt 22 beneath the board 12 and between washers 27 which are mounted on said bolt. The parts 24, 26 and 27 are detachably retained assembled on each bolt 22 by a nut 28 which threadedly engages a restricted lower end thereof. The levers 26 are preferably disposed in longitudinal alignment with the blocks 24 but project in the opposite direction thereto and extend outwardly from the ends of the upper space 15, in which said levers are disposed, as best illustrated in Figure 2.

The game apparatus 16 preferably includes four player simulating units, each designated generally 29, and each including a base 38 and a figure 31 which is fixed to and rises from the base 30. The figure 31 is constructed to simulate a hockey player holding a hockey stick in a playing position and said figure 31 is arranged to face the front of the base which is provided with a recess 32 which flares outwardly. The underside of the base 36 is provided with a plurality, preferably three ball bearings 33 which are recessed in depressions 34 thereof, as seen in Figure 6, and which may be retained therein in any suitable manner, as by means of the retaining plates 35 which are detachably secured to the underside of the base 30 by fastenings 36 and each of which is provided with an opening 37 of a diameter slightly less than the diameter of the ball bearings 33 to detachably retain the ball bearing rotatably in engagement therewith and with its depression 34. Thus, each player simulating unit 29 is mounted by the ball bearings 33 thereof to roll on the upper surface of the playing surface 12 and said ball bearings are preferably arranged in substantially a triangle including preferably two front ball bearings and one rear player simulating units 29.

7 ball bearing. A permanent magnet 38, having a north pole at one end thereof and a south pole at its opposite end is mounted in the underside of the base 30 and is suitably secured in a recessed position therein between the front and rear ball bearings 33. The magnet 38 preferably depends slightly below the underside of the base 30 but has its underside terminating above the level of the bottom portions of the ball bearings 33, as best illustrated in Figure 6. Accordingly, the magnet 38 of each player 29 is disposed crosswise thereof. The base 30 and'figure 31 may be formed of any suitable relatively light nonmagnetic material such as plastic or clay, of a size to be properly proportioned to the playing surface 12. The ball bearings 33 may be formed of glass or other suitable nonmagnetic'material. If desired, the magnets 38 may be omitted and the base 30 may be formed of a magnetized plastic with one side edge magnetized as a north pole and the other side as a south pole. V

A ball or'sphere 39 formed of glass, clay or other lightweight nonmagnetic material rolls on the playing surface 12 and simulates the puck used in the game of'hockey. The ball 39 is of a size to fit into the recess 32. If de sired, the ball 39 may be formed of a material such as steel capable of being attracted by a magnet and may be employed, as will hereinafter be apparent, without the The apparatus also includes four corresponding manipulating devices, each designated generally 49, each of which includes an elongated handle 4170f a length only slightly less than the length of the playing surface 12.

by four contestants, two of the contestants playing as partners position themselves at each endof the support ing structure andwith one contestant manipulating one of the devices 40 which extends therefrom and the other contestant manipulating the other of such devices. One

of the said contestants may also manipulate the lever 26 grasping and operating the manipulating devices 40, the

loops 49 are engaged one in the index finger and one in the middle finger and the other two fingers and thumb are employed to grasp the handgrip 42. Each manipulating device 49 is employed to manipulate one of the 7 player simulating units 29 beneath which the magnet 45 thereof is disposed and so that said magnet 45 will attract the magnet 38 of said unit 29 to cause said unit '29 to roll longitudinally and transversely of the playingsurface '12 V as the magnet45 to which it is attracted is moved be-, ,neath the playing surface 12. Likewise, by pulling on one or the other of theloops 49 with the fingers, the

V magnet 45 will be caused to swing about its pivot 46 and Each handle 41 has an enlarged grip portion 42 at one end thereof and is provided with a flattened apertured portion or eye 43, at its opposite end, which is adapted to -fit into' an elongated recess or opening 44 formed intermediate of the ends of a bar magnet 45 and between opposite top and bottom sides thereof. A suitable pivot element or pin 46 is anchored in the intermediate portion of the magnet 45 and extends through the recess 44 thereof and loosely through the eye 43 for swingably mounting the magnet 45 on the last mentioned handle ,endf One end of the magnet 45 constitutes the north a pole thereof and the other end constitutes the soutu pole of the magnet; The magnet 45 adjacent its ends is'proj vided with eyesor loops 47 which project from the inner .side thereof and in the same direction as the handle 41..

i A flexible element 43 extends from'each eye or loop 47 7 toward the grip portion 42 and as clearly illustrated in V Figure'3, thehandle 41 of each manipulating device is disposed between thetwo flexible elements 48thereof.

The'flexible elements 48am provided at their opposite endswith finger receiving loops 49 which are located ad-' jacent the grip portion 42.

If desired, rigid rods or the like can be substituted for the flexible members 48 and in 'WhlCh case'one of said members 48 can'be omitted, as

will hereinafter-become apparent or the two rigid members 48 could be utilized with the handle 41 omitted.

The supporting structure 11 may be'formed of any suitable nonmagnetic material such as masonite, wood,

, nets of the manipulating devices 40 which are located in f the bottom space 16 must be considerably stronger than the magnets located in the space. 15 so that the bottom pair of magnets will as effectively attract the magnets 38 of the player units'29 as the magnets of the manipulating devices 46 contained in the upper space 15. Said 'magnets 38 are considerably weaker than the magnets .45 located in the space 15. If the game is to be played surface 12.

manipulated to cause the puck 39to be engaged in the recess 32 of one of" said players and so that the puck or.

' ball may then'be moved toward the goal 21 of the other 7 which will cause the player 2 to turn upon the playing In this mannerrthe players may be readily player. Since themanipulating devices 43 are disposed in the different spaces 15 and in, the magnets 45 controlled by one player may be moved back and forth and across}.

above or below the magnets 45 of the other player thus enabling the player simulating units 29 to be manipulated thereby capture the puck.

ing devices 40 and utilize one hand for operating the lever 26 to move his block or goal keeper into a position to 39 into prevent his opponent from propelling the puc his cage or goal'21.

. Various rules may be provided for theplay of the game 1: including the start of play. Likewise, various other modifications and changes in the construction and arrangement of the parts constituting the invention as herein disclosed are contemplated and may obviously be resorted to, without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as hereinafter defined by the appended claims. 7

1 claim as my invention: a

. 1. In a game apparatus, a supporting structure having. a top part defining a playing surface, a plurality of player simulating units mounted for movement over said playing surface and each including a base portion capable of being magnetically attracted and each having a recessed 1 gaged in the recess portion of each of said player simu lating units" for movement therewith over the playing surface, a plurality of manually operated. manipulating devices eachincluding a magnet, means forming a part of the supporting structure slidably and turnably support.-

ing the manipulating devices beneath said top part in positions whereby the magnetically attractable base portions are connected'by magnetic attraction to the magnets of the manipulating devices so that said player simu- A lating units are selectively movable on the 'playing'sur face by movement of said manipulating devices.

.2. A game apparatus as in claim 1, said playing sur-- face havingmernbers mounted adjacent the ends thereof and opening toward one another forming goals or cages for receiving the playing piece, blocks swingably supported above the playing surface in the openings of said goals, shafts extending through and journalled in V the playing surface and having upperends fixed to the blocks, and manually actuated lever means disposed beneath the playing surface and connected to said shafts for manipulating the blocks to obstruct the movement of the playing piece into the goals.

3. A game apparatus as in claim 1, each of said manipulating devices including an elongated handle having one end pivotally connected to the magnet of said manipulating device for swinging movement of the magnet relatively to the handle, and manually operated means for rocking the magnets on said handle ends, from points remote thereto for causing the player simulating units, magnetically attracted to said magnets, to turn on the playing surface.

4. A game apparatus as in claim 3, said manually operated means comprising at least one link element pivotally connected to and extending from each magnet adjacent an end thereof and having finger engaging means disposed adjacent an opposite grip end of the handle adapted to be engaged by a finger of the hand grasping said grip end whereby the magnet may be moved with the handle and swung relatively thereto.

5. A game apparatus as in claim 1, and a plurality of ball bearing elements journalled in and depending from the underside of each of said player simulating units and engaging said playing surface to provide a rolling support on the playing surface for the player simulating unit of which it forms a part.

6. A game apparatus as in claim 1, said means forming a part of said supporting structure including a bottom and an intermediate partition disposed between said bottom and the playing surface and spaced therefrom to provide an upper space and a lower space, said spaces extending from end-to-end of the playing surface and each having at least one open end, and said manipulating devices being insertable into said spaces and being movably supported therein on the bottom and intermediate partition for manipulation of the player simulating units, at least one manipulating device being disposed in each of said spaces and the manipulating device located in the upper space extending from an end of the supporting structure opposite the end thereof from which projects the manipulating device of the other space.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,858,020 Linke May 10, 1932 2,263,115 Winter Nov. 18, 1941 2,318,169 Rock May 4, 1943 2,492,423 Gray Dec. 27, 1949 2,655,379 Miller Oct. 13, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 455,958 Canada Apr. 19, 1949 

